Vulnerable: An exhibition on the fragile state of the Maldives

Vulnerable is a photo exhibition organised by
Bluepeace, the first environmental organisation formed in the Maldives. The exhibition documents the vulnerability of the fragile coral islands of the Maldives to climate change. It is being shown in Copenhagen during December, hosted by
Klimaforum09, an alternative climate summit

A concrete barrier acts as a shield against the sea in an island of the Maldives. As wave action increases with climate change and sea levels rise, the cost of building such barriers will become a burden on islanders

The delicate reef ecosystems and the rich marine life are under threat. Slightly warmer tropical waters may kill the algae which reef animals use for food. The inhabitants of the islands depend on the reefs for their survival

Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically elected president of the Maldives, has plans to buy land to relocate the population and to make the country carbon neutral within 10 years. However, for most islanders the immediate concern is day-to-day problems such as a lack of a harbour

Climate change and rising water temperatures will have adverse effects on the livelihood of these fishermen, who have used skills passed on by past generations to practice the sustainable method of pole and line fishery

The Maldives is a coral nation – coral reefs have been described as the tropical rainforests of the sea. In recent years, more and more parts of reefs are suffering bleaching due to warming water temperatures

A freshwater lake and mangrove ecosystem in the unique island of Fuvahmulah. Such ecosystems hold the soil together and balance the fresh water lenses of islands. Increased ocean flooding may damage these areas by changing the supply of nutrients and the amount of salt